What is a Caricature Artist?

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Do you know what a caricature is? If not, you probably don’t know what is a caricature artist. Basically, the art of caricature is a real skill, and something which can raise a laugh, and appreciation at the same time.

You will certainly have seen a caricature drawing before, but you might not know what it was at the time. A caricature is any picture which is cartoon-like and has certain features exaggerated, to create a comic effect. The feature which is pushed to the front is likely to be a feature the person is famous for, e.g. Mick Jagger’s lips.

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The picture is not just about the face, as it can incorporate certain parts of the person’s personality, what they are known for, and it can also show parts of their job, e.g. you would draw Mick Jagger pouting, with a microphone in his hand, for example.

What is a Caricature Artist?

A caricature is something which is humorous, and that makes it a great gift, or something to remember a person by. Now, a caricature artist is someone who specializes in drawing caricature pictures, someone who has learned the skills and features which makes up this type of art, and who is able to draw people in a realistic way, whilst exaggerating those features they are most famous for.

You can become a caricature artist yourself, yes really! You need to learn the skills, of course, and you need to give it time and practice, but learning how to draw caricature art is something that is a great hobby to develop. There are many online resources which can help you out, including Learn to Draw, which has lots of help and advice to pass on to budding caricature artists.

A caricature artist understands what makes a caricature special. For instance, it’s not about the small details, it’s about picking out a feature and exaggerating it, to create a more ‘in your face’ version of that person. The lines are bold, confident, and thick. On the flip side, a portrait is more about detail and fine lines. This is where the difference lies. A caricature artist is able to create these bold liens and incorporate shading which draws a real picture.

A caricature has to be real, it has to look like the person. You should be able to look at a caricature drawing and know exactly who it is, without guessing. It should also make you laugh. A caricature artist is someone who is able to make a living from creating these drawings, but that’s not to say that you can’t use it as a hobby too.

Who knows, what starts out as a hobby could turn out to be a real money spinner in time!

Now, what skills do you need to become a caricature artist?

Patience most of all, and you need creativity. A flair for the humor in life is also something which is needed, but again, you can pick out these features and really exaggerate them by using your imagination. Whilst some people are born with the natural flair for art and drawing, that doesn’t mean that you can’t learn and develop the skills over time. Yes, it is easier for some people, but practice really does make perfect.

A caricature artist is able to learn his or her trade and then make cash. The work could come in batches, or it could be a steady flow. Over time, reputation is built up and that is what makes that particular artist stand out above the rest. Competition is big in this business, so you need to be able to sell your trade with something a little different about you, e.g. a particular feature that you throw into every one of your pieces perhaps, a signature maybe.

You can’t have your work looking like anyone else’s, so a real creative flare is important. Yes, we mentioned Mick Jagger and his famous lips, but most caricature artists have done that picture to death. You need to come up with unique ideas and put a special spin on them. This is what separates good caricature artists from the great ones. Which are you going to be?

If you can look at a picture and you can see the humor in a particular idea that pops into your head, without even putting pencil to paper, you are displaying the features of a top caricature artist. If you see the regular and you can’t come up with anything particularly new, then you need to put more thought into it.

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